in silence ᴰᴼᴵᴸ

１３.

☄️🎲☄️

White chalk performed various kinds of dances like curls of numbers followed by spins which were making perfect circles and spirals, all of that creating abstruse drawing of white lines on the blackboard. The main lead of today's performance, the maths teacher himself paid no attention to students - or better spectators, as he sang boring opera song in the form of mathematics operations.

Taeil knew he should be listening to his teacher's too-long sonnet, so he wouldn't have a problem with understanding the difficult topic later. His eyes, however, were everywhere but the board, exploring every detail they caught; from the thin layer of snow covering school's field, across hands of clocks ticking too slowly for student's liking, to the seat next to him which shone with emptiness. Most of the time his eyes shifted exactly there.

Thoughts of wonder occupied his mind. Where's Doyoung? Is he ill? Or did he suddenly left the town?

All those questions were running through his head since the first lesson. He was kind of sad, although the boy hasn't uttered a word, his presence still somehow calmed him down and made him feel not alone. He hated sitting alone, maybe the canteen would be a lot worse case, but he didn't have to worry about that since he still has his other friends. However, sitting alone in the class meant that the teacher noticed him rather than others and he had to answer a lot of questions.

For his luck, to the end of the fourth lesson, the teacher didn't spare any look to the class. Taeil knew they will write tests, he just hoped someone from his friends wrote down notes he can copy and study later.

Seeing confused Johnny after the bell's ringing and Yuta stealing his seatmate's biology notebook to write off homework they were supposed to do, his hopes died. He will have to ask another classmate then.

"What's with Doyoung?" Johnny was first to ask as he took out a small carton of milk. Banana milk, Taeil guessed.

The oldest shrugged although deep inside he was kind of worried. "I have no idea. I thought about texting him but.." He trailed off.

"But..?" Johnny lifted his eyebrows at him, basically mocking him. But soon his eyebrows formed into a frown and he tilted his head.

"Wait. When did you even exchange numbers? I thought Doyoung doesn't— trust us enough."

That was true. Taeil had never thought about that though so it made him surprised. Does Doyoung trust him?

"Maybe he doesn't trust us. But I feel like he trusts Taeil a little. This smells too cliché." The Japanese said while writings down Johnny's notes. Yuta's remark made Taeil's heartbeat speed up without areason as he smacked his shoulder.

"Why don't you text him then?" Johnny asked, sipping his milk, looking like he waited for some drama to start. Taeil shook his head.

"I don't know. It's weird."

Yuta snorted. He looked up to be met with Taeil's eyes and gave him 'are you kidding me' look. "As far as I know both you communicate through notes meaning you basically 'text' each other."

"Yeah but it's... It's still weird."Taeil wasn't sure how to explain his reason so he stopped. But that didn’t stop his friends from asking.

"Explain." Both of the boys said at the same time and Taeil sighed.

"When I text you, I always read the text with your voice. Like I can hear you in my head. Does that make sense?" He wore a confused face but nodding of his friends made him continue. "But with Doyoung I don't hear it. It's weird because I can't even imagine it since I haven't heard his voice. It's... Weird." Taeil knew he sounded maybe a little bit bizarre, but that was what he really felt. And it seemed like his friends understood him so he let it be.

Suddenly, Yuta spoke up. "What do you think his voice sounds like? Is it quiet? Or—Melodic?" He went from Taeil's face to Johnny's, wearing excited face while his friends too were deep in thoughts.

"Hmm quiet? Or maybe even boring, like monotone." Johnny said.

"I don't think so. He used to get often offended, so something louder." Taeil added.

"Okay so maybe little bit whiny and loud. Do you think he can sing? Or his voice is rather deep—"

"Rapping! What if he can rap? How cool would that be!" Johnny voiced and threw his arms in the air, making the other two furrowing their brows.

"Naaah." Yuta shook his head and quickly started writing down the notes again before he could see the pout on Johnny's face.

The boy still sipping his milk bit his lip at sudden though. "Wait how do you know he used to get offended?" He turned to Taeil.

"We talked about this like three weeks ago. I met Sicheng, remember?"

Johnny let out big 'aaah' but both of them slowly looked over the Japanese.

Yes, all of them shared what happened in the club, or in Taeil's case outside, not leaving any detail out. Except for one little thing. Johnny told Taeil about Ten's weird behaviour and that Sicheng spoke with Yuta about something—something Johnny still didn't quite understand. But Yuta kept quiet about the conversation, not giving them a slight idea of the situation.

Taeil and Johnny respected that, absolutely, but still felt a little bit betrayed. They wanted to know what happened. Taeil especially, as it could lead to Doyoung's past he was so keen to know about. Don't get him wrong, he just wanted to help.

Yuta noticed their stares, but choose to ignore it. "Taeil, just text him, you won't lose anything by doing that." He said instead, still not looking up.

One eye roll and clap of his friend was what made him stretch out for his phone, unlocking it and scrolling down the contacts with Johnny behind his back.

When he found the right number, he bit his lip nervously, hovering with his fingers above the keyboard as he wasn't sure what to write.

"You are so lame honestly. And hopeless as well." Johnny laughed as he sat back on his seat.

"Shut up."

✈✈✈

Twelve minutes passed as their next class began, their bellies full from lunch and Taeil looking at his phone from time to time. He had waited for an hour already. It wasn't that he was scared, but he was nervous just from trying to contact the boy through the phone. He had written so many messages in his life, had countless calls but as if he talked to alien this time. It felt odd.

As he was about to write down the notes, quiet sound pulled him out of his thoughts. His hand grabbed the phone when he noticed one new message and quickly opened it.

The sigh of relief left his mouth and he quickly showed the phone to his friends sitting behind him, who nodded after reading the message.

Doyoung🐇

Hi just texting to know if you're okay. Taeil.>

<I'm home at the moment
<I caught cold
<But it's getting better I guess

Okay, get well soon! ♡>

<thanks

A smile appeared on Taeil's face and he tried to ignore his crazy heart.

He felt awkward and anxious because he didn't mean to send the heart. The boy guessed he was just used to it as he and his two other best friends send themselves shit tons of hearts. But that's the thing, they're different and he mentally punched himself for being dumb. Again.

It didn't matter anyway. He just hoped Doyoung is okay because he doesn't want to sit alone for another week.

That was it.